Joost looking to get into live TV, will begin tests in 2008

Joost is planning to test live TV broadcasts in the US starting early next …

Joost is preparing to dive into the world of live TV starting in 2008, a move that would give the P2P video service more leverage against its competitors in the world of online video. Currently, Joost users can watch a variety of TV programs, streamed on-demand and for free. But those programs aren't live TV, so anyone who wants to watch something live still needs a TV or TV tuner to do so.

Joost's content strategy and acquisition EVP Yvette Alberdingkthijm revealed that Joost would begin testing the service with select content owners during the first quarter of next year. She wouldn't identify which content partners would begin testing the service, but indicated that she would might sign European sports broadcasters to deals similar to the one signed with Major League Baseball in the US last month. She noted Joost's recently-inked deal with UK broadcaster Independent Television Network (ITN), which includes Premiership soccer highlights. "There's some stuff up our sleeve actually," she told PaidContent UK. "Obviously we're talking to everybody who has sports rights."

If Joost is able to begin offering live TV alongside its on-demand options, the service's appeal would increase dramatically. One of the biggest criticisms of Joost is its spotty selection of content, so signing on more partners to offer content at the same time or immediately after TV broadcast—particularly sports broadcasts—would be just the thing to attract a wider user base, not to mention ad dollars.

Live TV has has likely been in the cards for Joost since its inception, as advertisers would much rather be seen during live broadcasts than during day-, week-, or month-old shows. And the plan could go even further than ad dollars—a marriage of live TV and the Internet could mark a huge shift away from traditional broadcasters in the same way that Google's new video units could turn web sites into mini-broadcasters. People could start to shed their home cable and satellite connections like they already do with home landlines for phone service. If that happens, it would be a troubling development for traditional broadcasters. That is, unless a broadcaster were to buy Joost and begin to shift its focus to the Internet. "Joost, brought to you by CBS" does have an interesting ring to it...